Giang Thanh is a rural district bordering with Cambodia, with a large number of ethnic minorities (accounting for nearly 23%). After years of implementing the Party and State’s ethnic policies, along with the efforts of ethnic minorities themselves, the lives of Giang Thanh’s citizens are constantly changing. This contributes to building and firmly defending the country's sovereignty and borders.

Giang Thanh district (Kien Giang) has witnessed positive changes.

Flourishing area

Now, visiting the communes of Phu My, Phu Loi, Vinh Dieu, Vinh Phu and Tan Khanh Hoa, which are all borders with Cambodia, it can be seen clearly that the roads are all connected to each other and are made of concrete. The Khmer ethnic people are now living in sturdy homes with rooftops made from steel, rather than leaves. The communes have put on the face of development and civilization.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Ha, Chairman of Giang Thanh District’s People's Committee shared that, in the past 5 years, it has promptly and effectively implemented the guidelines and policies of the Party and the State towards ethnic minorities. These include a 1.2 billion VND dong project to support residential land, redeeming production land, and creating jobs for local people; a 1.6 biliion VND of direct support for nearly 9,000 people in poor households, in accordance with Decision 102 of the Prime Minister. More than 2 billion VND was donated to 1,600 poor and near-poor Khmer households on holidays and Tet.

In addition, Giang Thanh also supported domestic water according to Decision 755, implemented policies for reputable people among ethnic minorities according to Decision 18; provided support to pagodas, ethnic children and paid visits and offered gifts to ethnic minorities on holidays...

“At the same time, Giang Thanh implemented the national target program on new-style rural area building by building infrastructure such as: electricity, roads, schools, irrigation systems, and commune markets with a total capital of more than 390 billion VND. Inter-commune and inter-village roads are now made of concrete, and over 98% of ethnic households have access to electricity from the national grid," said Mr. Ha.

In the past, it was very difficult for people to travel around. So, Giang Thanh had a policy of mobilizing people to donate their land to build new roads and it was well received by Khmer ethnic people. Many of them even helped with the construction, planting green fences to create a green, clean, beautiful environment.

Mr. Luu Van Khol, a reputable person in Tra Phot hamlet, Phu Loi commune, is a prime example. Not only pioneering the implementation of guidelines and policies of the Party and State, Mr. Khol himself and his family also played a vanguard role in productive labor, applying scientific and technical advances to animal husbandry and cultivation, and realizing the goal of hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

Mr. Khol said: “Participating in the construction of a new-style rural commune, the people here responded very positively and well performed their given tasks. Compared to the old days, Phu Loi is now well developed, the material and spiritual life of the people is constantly improved.”

Putting efforts to rise up

Over the years, the border guards contributed greatly to the positive changes in the lives of ethnic minorities in Giang Thanh.

In order to help the Khmer people escape poverty, border guard units guide poor households to change their thinking in agricultural production, take advantage of the vacant land, renovate mixed gardens to form the vuon-ao-chuong (garden-fish pond- poultry shed) model, thereby increasing their income, and livelihoods.

Mr. Tien Can's family has received considerable support from Phu My Border Guard Station.

The family of Mr. Tien Can in Tran The hamlet, Phu Loi commune, was a poor household. But now, thanks to the help of Phu My Border Guard Station, his life has been changed for the better. They donated breeding cows and chickens to his family to develop a model of animal husbandry.

Mr Tien Can was thankful for the help of the border guards. Now, his family has 4 cows and a clean vegetable garden to develop his source of finance.

Besides, Giang Thanh also focuses on effectively implementing sustainable poverty reduction; creating jobs, investing in production development, farm economic models, craft villages and traditional knitting...

According to Mr. Le Ton Thuan, Head of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Giang Thanh district, in the past 5 years, implementing the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction, Giang Thanh has opened 58 short-term vocational training classes for 1,563 workers; has introduced and created jobs for more than 6,000 employees; has opened 15 training courses on science and technology transfer; has provided loans for more than 15,000 people with a total amount of over 200 billion VND.

“Thanks to many forms of supporting people, by the end of 2021, Giang Thanh has 486 poor households (accounting for 5.95% of the total population), of which 162 poor households are among ethnic minorities (accounting for 8.84% of the total number of poor households), near-poor households are 413 (accounting for 5.06%), said Mr. Thuan.

Giang Thanh has changed for the better, especially the shift in its consciousness and the will to self-reliance. People enthusiastically emulate production, contribute to poverty alleviation, building a border region of positive growth day in and day out.